Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-15

Enanc6, IN response 10 Il resolution from the
Board. reported it inexpedleUt 10 reduce
the price Of gas, and suggested that the
| city Council enact such legislation as is
reces.ary TO tax city Offices Tor gas at the
same rate as consumers are made 20 pay.
The report was referred TO the Commit
tee on Ordinances.
D0CE.sTREET EXTENSION.
| The ordinence giving the Richmond and
| DaDyillc Railroad Company permission 10
| 10y track DOWN Dock or Water street 10
| Ash street, down Ash to Wharf street, aud
| down Wharf street to Gillies creek, and
side or branch track into the property OF
| Il. j.. and Thomas Clyde, was tiken up as
| coming from The other branch.
| Communications were read from the
| Board Of Directors Of the Grain and Cot
ION Exchange and from the Board Of Dl.
recloTs Of the Chamber Of Commerce ex.
| pressing the hope that the ordinance would
pass. Mr.. Hill also presented a petition
| signed by Messrs. &. T.. Z. Burwyn, E. a.
| Saunders, and Others, OF the same tenor.
Mr.. Dickerson claimed that the priyi-
| lege TO run track on Dock street already
| belonged TO lhe Chesapeake a1d Ohio
| Railroad Company. He asked the clerk
| To read the law on the subject, which
was done. (City Ordinances, page 2jj.)
MIR. CTenshaw expressed doubt a. to
| whether the company still had the right
| to run this track, it having been about
| sixteen years sluce the privilege was
granted. He would like 10 have tue CITY
| Attorneys opinion on.the subject.
Mr.. CTump moved that the matter be re-
| fcrred to the Street Committee 10 cO1nec-
tion with the City Attorney. He thought
this the best plan.
Mr. CTenshaw moved that the Civ At.
! tOIucy (abo was present be requested to
give bis opinion.
Nr. Mere dIth said that as to the repeal OF
| the old ordinance be was not prepared to
answer; az 70 the right Of the Council to
| ndOptthe new ordinance, be would say that
II permission is gianted railroad com.
pany to lay n track, and subsequently, per-
| mission Is granted another company, hat
the company first laying its track to that
company belongs the privilege.
MIR. Dickerson was opposed to the ordi.
nance. he said 1t was absurd TO say 1t
would benefit the business interests OF the
city.
sir. Page moved that outside parties rep
TesentiDg both sides be heard.
Mr.. Davis was opposed TO this. He had
heard the matter thoroughly discussed, and
was sure nothing more could be said
1t was agreed 10 hear each side talk about
the matter Tor twenty minutes each.
MIR. W. II. Meredith spoke on behalf OF
the Richmond and Danyiile Railroad Com
pany. The speaker brought out the man
points In favor Of the extension which he
made when he sppea ared before the Com
mon Council when the ordinance passed
that body.
MIR. John A. Curtis, on behalf OF Mr..
Bossieux and the teamstcrs, next spoke,
and presented WHIST he conceived "tO be
the injury to the commerce OF any city
which gives through freight traffic to any
steamboat line" Mr.. Curtis said his un-
derstanding was that the extension was to
be solely for The benefit OF q monopoist,
Mr.. Clyde. and not for the Richmond and
Danyile Railroad Company. He strongly
urged that the extension would not do the
city any good, and he hoped the Council
would not grant it.
"oUT or THEIR PROVINCE"
Mr.. Dickerson again spoke in opposition
to the ordinance. He referred to the ac.
tion Of the Chamber OF Commerce and the
Grain and Cotton Exchange. and express
ed The opinion that they had stepped out OF
their province in attempting to influence
body whose sworn duty 1t was to consider
what was best for the city's interests.
The speaker ridiculed the Idea OF i'm.
proving the James river as IL had been pro-
posed. lie had heard II asserted that there
were seventeen feet OF water at the Rockets
wharves. TIE city superintendent OF the
Jamts-riyCr improvement, had in his Feb
ruary report, said that as n consequence OF
the ice.gOrge the water was not more than
ten feet. Twenty-Five feet lie thought 1t
would take all the surplus in the United
states Treasury to get that depth. lie did
not think that twenty feet would ever be
gotten.
Dir. DickersOn believed there was a
mouse In the meal-tub, and there was more
In the ordinance than was apparent The
speaker was also opposed 10 the obstruc.
tion OF The street, which this extension
would cause. The streets were public
highway, and the Council had no right TO
give a third of any street TO monopoly,
or 10 Thomas Clyde, or the Richmond aud
Danyille Railroad Company, OF anybody
else.
"Wbo owns the Richmond and Danville
roadfD Interrupted Mr.. Adams, the col
oled member from jackson Ward.
81 don't know" laughingIy answered
Mr.. Dckerson. 81 wasn't In the last DEAL"
Mr. Powers had given the matter 6 great
deal OF thought, but, unlike his friend from
Marshall Ward, he was in favor OF an ordi.
nance which he believed TO be for the best
interests OF Richmond. This was his view
as a businessman. The speeches which |
had been made in opposition to the scheme |
would have been more appropriate In
about 1920 or 1925, but the present age
was too progressive and energetic to 0p.
pose it now. He differed with his prede'
cessor on the floor as TO the right OF the |
Chamber OF Commerce, an organization OF |
prominert businessmen representing MIL |
hons OF dollars, 10 dictate 10 the Council as |
TO what its wishes were, and the Council |
had no right to put itself so high that its |
constituents could not intimate its wishes. |
MIR. Page favored the extension. He did |
not think much was due the Richmond
and Danyille Railroad Company by the city |
Of Richmond, but In the interests OF bust.
ness progress he would urge the passage OF |
the ordinance. He thought that possibly |
some individual interests would be affected, |
but the general sentiment and good OF |
busiDess.men were In favor OF the ordi- |
nance,
Sir. snesd was in favor OF the extension, |
but thought that the street ought 70 Qe
widened. lie had been over the ground |
to-day. He proposed as an amendment
that Dock street on the north side be con-
demned at the expense OF the applicants a |
sufficient amount so that the railroad line |
could bc continued straight from Twenty |
eighth street to the turnout at Ash street.
Mir. Adams was opposed TO the matter.
MIR. Otley humorously offered the follow
ing substitute for the whole proposition:
Re,o,pea bg fhe Board q Alaermen tthe Com |
mon Coanclieoncurringl That the sum OF three /
millions of dollars be, and the same Is hereby,
anproDriatod for the purpose OF building |
xail forfy feet high aud fifteen feet wide around
he corporate limits Of Richmond, and that the |
said Wall be provided with one gate only, as |
ns-ar tbe dimensions Of the needles eye OF Je- |
,T,salem az il possible for our City Engineer 70
oifain. and tiat the company OF siow1tzers are \
ordered 70 blockade tho same with their heayt |
oct ordnance.
The amendment proposed by Mr.. snead |
was lost, as follows;
Ayes- Messrs. Adams, Bahcn. Bland, Davis, |
pict ersop. Ncble. Page, and sneAd-7.
NoEs- AessrS Crenshaw, crump, hargroye,
Mn. Murphy, 0tley, Powers. and bass-s
Mr.. Dlckerson moved 10 80 amend the
ordinsnce as 70 prescribe that the track
should net run beyond Giiile's creek In the
ls.zstkH TINA